Coldest Degree
by BregoBeauty
Summary: One missing woman, two hidden pasts, three cases, and a rising body count... The hunt is on for Jackson Rippner in a twisted case of murder, love, and organized crime.
1. Prologue

**Coldest Degree**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye _or _CSI: Miami_!

**Summary:** When the body of an identified young woman is found, a manhunt begins for her killer. It's a murder of the coldest degree, but what if the main suspect had nothing to do with it?

**Prologue**

A body lies face-first in the dirt beside a small pond. The water line has receded and the dumped body has surfaced. It is a young woman in her late twenties or early thirties. Her soaked hair is tangled and covers her face.

She is dressed for a night on the town. Strappy high-heels are buckled around her ankles, a loose, flowing red skirt ends just below her knees, and a red and white dress top clings to her skin. Her purse and identification cards are both missing.

Even from her back, there is evidence of a struggle—a fight to the death. Half-formed bruises cover her arms and legs as well as scratches and cuts from a sharp blade. The most telling sign of her killer's identity and the fight is the harshly carved letter 'J' on her outstretched right forearm.

Whoever she was, she was not expecting to die that night.

**Author's Notes:**

Before everyone thinks this is just a Jackson-kills-someone story, I promise that it is not. There are plenty of twists to come. I decided to kind of cross it over with the TV show _CSI: Miami_ so that the crime can be solved and investigated. It will be written very much like an episode of the show, but there will be times were it switches to the POV of characters from _Red Eye_. I got the idea when watching a marathon of _CSI: Miami_ last Monday. Enjoy and please review!


	2. Chapter One

**Coldest Degree**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye _or_ CSI: Miami_!

**Chapter One**

The sun was already high in the sky before the tan Hummer came to a halt beside the swampy pond. After the dust kicked up by the drive settled, Horatio Caine stepped out of the car. His sunglasses were already covering his eyes and he was wearing his typical black suit with a light-blue button-down shirt this time. He was stylish yet at the same time slightly relaxed.

This was the first time that he had ever been called out to this remote location. A young boy had been heading down to the water and discovered the body. The kid had run home and the mother had called 911, which had in turn contacted Horatio and his well-trained team of CSIs.

All the houses nearby were about a half-mile up the dirt road that Horatio had taken to the swamp. The body of water was close to being called a pond, but the brackish water was close enough to the Everglades to be a swampland. The potential for clues was semi-'washed up' even with having a trained diver working for him as a CSI.

This murder had been carefully planned and meticulously executed. Someone somewhere had wanted this young woman dead and had gone to great lengths to ensure that as well as making sure her body was never found. Had Miami not been usually warm and in a dry spell, it was highly unlikely that the body would have been recovered this soon.

Horatio Caine carefully bent down beside the washed-up body. It was never easy to accept the fact that someone was dead, especially someone as young as this woman appeared to be. Someone had cut her life tragically short and it was up to him to see that the person responsible faced justice.

"What have we got here, Alexx?" he questioned, turning to face the African-American coroner beside him. Doctor Alexx Wood frequently came out of her 'lab' to assist with the careful removal and preliminary examination of a body.

"It's hard to tell. Poor girl really took a beating. There's a lot of anger here."

The young woman lying in the dirt was dressed in what had once been fine attire, but was now soggy, torn, and ruined. Horatio could see the bruises that had begun to form on the bits of skin that were visible from her awkward position on the ground. She had been tortured or beaten for a short period of time before her life ended. He could also see the cuts and slashes that accented the bruises.

"No id?"

"None. But I did find this," Alexx said, slowly holding up the young woman's left hand. A ring sparkled in the bright sunlight.

"Is that a wedding ring or an engagement ring?"

"I can't tell right now. That'll be up to you."

"Anything else?"

"Yes, there's this mark here. I think someone was trying to tell us something."

A crudely scratched 'J' stood out on the young woman's right forearm. The cut was crusty with dried blood and surprisingly long.

"Keep me informed, Alexx."

"Will do," nodded the woman as she turned her attention back to the body and her job.

Horatio stood back up and turned back to the two members of his team that had come to the site. They were patiently awaiting his instructions. This swampy area appeared to have only been a dump site, rather then the place of her actual murder. Little evidence would be gathered from the area, but every piece counted.

"So, what do want us to do, H?" asked Eric Delko, the team's diver.

"Eric, I would like you to take a peek in that pond. Calleigh, I want you to check out the area. Tire tracks, possible weapons—you know the drill."

"Got it," said the Southern blonde, grabbing her kit from where she had rested it on the ground.

"Let me know what you find."

"Sure thing, H," she agreed with a smile.

-------------------------------------------------------------

The first thing that caught Calleigh's eyes was the set of tire tracks leading up to the water's receded edge. The treads were recent and went farther past where she would have assumed the water had been.

It was almost as if the murderer had _wanted_ the body to be discovered.

"Hey, H?" she called, causing Horatio to turn and face her. "Take a look at this."

He walked over and kneeled down beside her.

"These tracks—they're off. Why would the killer have driven into the middle of the swamp and risked getting his truck stuck?"

"That's preciously the type of question we need to answer," Horatio Caine said with a grim smile. "Good work."

"Is it possible that she was dumped fairly recently?"

"What does the evidence say?"

"That it's possible."

He nodded and stood back up. Calleigh bent over the ground once more and snapped photos with the camera in her hand. Once she had accurately depicted the tracks, she went to work mixing the components needed to make a cast of the marks. If things worked out well, she would be able to run it through the computer and gather more information about the vehicle used to dump the body.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Horatio Caine flipped open his cell phone and dialed the number of another member of his team. Ryan Wolfe had a mild case of obsessive-compulsive disorder and was a rather focused individual. If Horatio's guess was correct, then the young CSI would be hanging around the lab.

"Mister Wolfe, are you near a computer?" Horatio asked after Ryan picked up the phone.

"Yeah. Why?"

"I need you to take a look through the missing person files. We have an unidentified body out here."

"Okay, umm, what do you want me to use as criteria?"

"She's a Caucasian female, in either her late twenties or early thirties, approximately five foot, six inches—give or take a few—and has reddish-brown shoulder-length hair. She is mostly likely recently deceased, so pay close attention to files within the past three months."

"You got it, H."

**Author's Notes:**

Just a semi-scattered starter. I'm working really hard at planning it out and getting all the details correct, so please bear with me. Updates will hopefully be twice a week once I finish all of my information/research collecting. I'm still working on getting a second look on the episode that inspired this story. I'm trying to keep the characters normal, but they will be different than what is in the books and on the show (the _CSI: Miami_ characters, that is) due to my inexperience with them. I'm more of a Las Vegas fan than a Miami fan. Enjoy and thanks for reading/reviewing!


	3. Chapter Two

**Coldest Degree**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _CSI: Miami_!

**Chapter Two**

"What do we know, Alexx?" Horatio Caine asked from beside the coroner. Alexx Woods had just completed the autopsy of Jane Doe from the swampy pond.

"Baby put up one hell of a fight. She's got wounds of every size, shape, and color."

His gaze fell towards the young woman's face for the very first time. She was rather pretty, even with her eyes closed and her skin battered. She looked, peaceful, for lack of a better word. As peaceful as any murder victim could appear that is.

"How many wounds?"

"There's about twenty scratches on the backs on her legs, the long 'J' on her forearm, and about thirty various cuts of different lengths and depths on her chest, arms, neck, and even her stomach," Alexx said, pointing out the wounds as she spoke.

"Any others?"

"She had one scar that was about four years old judging by the healed skin. Plus she was pretty bruised up. The majority of the bruises were concentrated on her throat, wrists, and arms. Someone was trying to restrain her and hold her still while they killed her."

"Wolfe is trying to come up with an id on our Jane Doe. Hopefully, that will lead us to the killer."

"Whoever he is, he's good with a blade—strong too."

"What makes you say that?"

"The stab wounds and bruises indicate that whoever attacked her was physically stronger. He was able to hold her down despite her struggling and systemically butcher her. Some of her wounds are defensive and she was trying to protect someone."

"Who, Alexx?"

The African-American woman smiled at him. "Baby was pregnant and she knew it. That son of a bitch killed a mother with child."

"Don't worry, we'll get him."

"I know. That's what I told her."

Horatio took another look at the young woman. She had a long life ahead of her and much to live for. Whoever had killed her was particularly cold and cruel. The autopsy had confirmed his suspicion about her murder being cold-bloodedly planned and executed. Her killer had no attachment to her. Whoever he was, had not cared about the young woman or her child.

Her reddish-brown hair shone slightly under the powerful lamps. She did not deserve to be lying here with Alexx attending to her. She belonged outside in the Miami sunshine, smiling and happy.

He would hunt down and punish whoever was responsible. No one deserved this kind of death, least of all a mother with child.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

"What have you got for me, Mister Wolfe?" Horatio asked as he entered the quiet room. All that was in the darkened room was Ryan Wolfe and a computer that he was currently hunched over.

"Well, I spent the past five hours pouring over the missing persons reports…"

"And?"

"I think I've got her."

"Okay, what did you get?"

"A Lisa Rippner. She was reported missing about a week ago by her husband. Get this, H—her husband's name is Jackson."

Horatio took the report from Ryan's hands. A beautiful young woman, full of life and with her green eyes sparkling, was smiling at the camera in the attached photo.

"Our mysterious 'J'," he muttered. "Send a squad car to this address. I think it's time to have a chat with Mr. Rippner."

**Author's Notes:**

Just a short chapter. I'm still trying to work out the specifics. Having them go after Jackson is a big part of the story. More analysis of her murder will be revealed soon—I'm not skipping over it, I promise. Enjoy and thanks for all the reviews!


	4. Chapter Three

**Coldest Degree**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _CSI: Miami_!

**Chapter Three**

Horatio led the small team of police officers and CSIs up to the front door of the Rippners' house. They lived in a decent, quiet section of Miami in a large, three-story house. It was not quite a mansion yet it was still plenty large for two people. There were no cars parked in the driveway and the street was silent and peaceful.

Knocking on the wooden front door, he called out, "Jackson Rippner? This is the Miami-Dade PD. We are here to talk about your wife."

The door swung open as he pounded and Horatio withdrew his gun. He could hear no sounds coming from inside the house, but it was always better to be safe than sorry.

"Miami-Dade PD!" he continued to call as he carefully stepped across the threshold. There was a chance that the murder had taken place inside this house and that it was a crime scene. He was taking as many precautions as possible to limit the amount of paths through the house.

Everyone spread out to sweep the house, but within five minutes, Horatio's question was answered. Jackson Rippner was nowhere to be found. Just like his wife, he too had vanished. The odds of him being dead as well were about 50-50 depending on what had happened. If he had murdered Lisa, then he was most likely alive. If someone else had killed her, than there was an even better chance that he was dead or about to face the same fate.

"Calleigh, I want you to secure the perimeter. This might be our crime scene," Horatio ordered.

"Sure thing, H," the blonde nodded and hurried outside of the house to retrieve her crime scene kit from the Hummer.

As the police officers went to speak to the neighbors about the Rippners, Horatio and his team searched the house. He had gone to the extra trouble of procuring a warrant before paying Jackson Rippner a visit just in case and now they could process the house as a crime scene if there was enough evidence to warrant it.

"There are clothes missing," Eric Delko reported after searching the bedroom.

"Who's?" Caine wanted to know; curiosity reigning.

"His. There are places were the clothing was ripped off hangers and there are other discarded shirts and suit pieces strewn all over the room."

"What about her belongings? Anything seem strange?"

"Nope. It doesn't look like he touched her stuff."

"Sounds like someone's trying to make a break for it."

Horatio reached for the walkie-talkie clipped to his belt. "Put out an APB for a Jackson Rippner. Brown hair, blue eyes, slim build, about 30 years old. He's wanted for questioning pertaining to his wife's disappearance and murder. He might be armed. He should be considered dangerous and a possible fugitive."

* * *

"Miami-Dade Police Department is looking for a man for questioning in the disappearance and murder of Lisa Rippner, 28, a long-time resident of Miami. His name is Jackson Rippner and he is 30 years old with brown hair and blue eyes," said the TV news reporter on the afternoon news.

Joseph Reisert stopped dead in his tracks. "Lisa?"

He hurried over to the front of the television, which was broadcasting photographs of both Lisa and Jackson.

"Lisa Rippner was discovered two days ago in a swampy area just outside of Miami. Police are unwilling to comment on what happened to her. They are however searching for her husband to question. Mrs. Rippner disappeared just over a week ago and was reported missing by Jackson Rippner…"

Joe sank into his chair, dumbstruck by the report. _Why wasn't I informed? Lisa said that they were going out of town for a short trip…so what happened?_

"Anyone with information about Lisa or Jackson Rippner is asked to call the following number…"

He reached for the nearby cordless phone and with shaky fingers dialed the number of the tip hotline. _Jackson, what have you done to my little girl?_

"Miami-Dade PD tip hotline, how may I help you?" a cheery voice answered.

"My name is Joe Reisert. I need to speak to whoever is in charge of the Rippner case."

"Why would that be?"

"Because I might be able to help. Lisa's my daughter. Please…"

"Just one moment sir and I'll connect you with Lieutenant Caine."

_Please let this all be a nightmare… You promised that you'd never hurt her. What happened, Jackson? What did you do?_

**Author's Notes:**

Jackson's on the run from the police and now Joe's getting involved. The next chapter will have a flashback to answer some of the questions that I've been receiving about Jackson and Lisa's relationship. Enjoy and thanks for the all the reviews!


	5. Chapter Four

**Coldest Degree**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _CSI: Miami_!

**Chapter Four**

_**Three years earlier…**_

_"Just kill me," Lisa moaned; the dried blood upon her face making it harder to speak and even to move her crusted lips._

_"Not yet. Do you have any idea what you've done? Huh?" asked her torturer with a sly grin, his blade dripping her shiny blood. _It's over…It was all for nothing…

_She whimpered as the knife sliced the skin by her collarbone. Blood trickled down her throat and she coughed loudly. She was slowly yet surely dying. It was only a matter of time until she took her final gasping breath._

_A single, silenced shot rang out and her tormentor groaned and slid down to the ground. Behind the smoking barrel was a pair of crystal blue eyes masked by a curtain of dark brown hair._

_"It's okay, Leese. I'm here," Jackson whispered, walking over to the twitching body. He shot her a smile as he crossed the room. He was at ease—in complete control. This was his element._

_He placed his left foot on the man's throat. "How dare you touch her? She's mine. She's got nothing to do with you!"_

_Jackson drove his own knife's blade into the dying man's body at least thirteen times before cutting her free. More blood trickled down onto her skin as the knife worked its magic. Lisa's exhausted and drained body collapsed into his arms and blood seeped from her wounds onto his freshly pressed and cleaned clothing._

_"No, no…" she said hoarsely. She had to keep fighting even though she was beyond exhausted. _

_"Ssh, it's okay. It's over now. I'll protect you."_

_Her pitiful gaze moved him into action. He had a short window of opportunity before she would be beyond his help. He had risked everything to come back for her._

_He did not know why he came back. He just could not let her die. Not with things still left unsaid. He had been whisked away from her side by ambulance following the flight. For six months they had lived apart with each haunting the other's mind. _

_"Don't you dare give up, Leese," he hissed. "You hear me?"_

_Lisa was beyond replying at that moment. The blood loss was too great for her weakened body. The man had been systematically tormenting her for days on end. He had almost been too late to stop the pain. It was his fault that she had been targeted in the first place._

_His failure had nearly cost Lisa her very life. _

* * *

"Mr. Reisert?" Caine answered the phone call that had been forwarded to his cell. "Horatio Caine, Miami-Dade PD. I was told that you wanted to talk to me about Lisa Rippner."

"Yes, yes! Lisa's my daughter. What happened to her? She told me that they were going away on a trip the day that he came back. She was all excited," Joe Reisert said gratefully. _I hope that this man can help me. I need to find out what went wrong._

"When was the last time that you spoke with Lisa?"

"Over a week ago. She was going out to meet Jackson for dinner. He was going to meet her someplace and then they were supposed to be leaving on a short vacation together."

"Do you know where Mr. Rippner was? Before she went to meet with him that is."

"Well, Jackson travels a lot," Joe begin hesitantly. _It's not my place to explain what happened between them. It's not his business._ "Sometimes he's gone for weeks at a time. He hasn't left the country for at least three years. I don't know where he just went though. Lisa didn't tell me." _I'm not about to say that he's on the no-fly list for out-of-country travel and that he arranges assassinations for a living. That has nothing to do with his relationship with Lisa. He loves her…he couldn't have done this._

"Mr. Reisert, do you have any idea where Jackson Rippner is now?"

"No. Jackson and I are hardly close. He's away too much for us to bond. Why?"

"Why would he run after he reported her missing? Is there any explanation for that type of behavior?"

_Does he know about the red-eye? Does he know that he once tried to kill her? They think Jackson did it… They always blame the husband._

"How did she die?" Joe abruptly questioned; purposefully avoiding the question at hand.

"Excuse me?" Horatio asked; puzzled.

"What happened to Lisa? How did they kill her?"

"There's no nice way of saying this… but your daughter was systematically butchered, Mr. Reisert. It's not a pretty sight and there was a 'J' scratched into her arm with a knife…"

"A knife? Are you sure?" Joe was rapidly paling. _Oh God, Jackson, what did you do?_

"Yes."

"Jackson carries a knife…Lisa called it a KA-Bar. He's very good with it. But he couldn't have done this—not Jackson."

"Would Mr. Rippner have reason to want her dead?"

"Jackson kill Lisa? No, never! Not now…"

Horatio paused for a moment. "What do you mean by "not now", Mr. Reisert? Did he ever try to harm her? Don't lie to me."

"He loves her too much. He would never hurt her, let alone kill her! He never once hurt her," Joe protested.

"Why would he run if he's innocent?"

"To find her killer," Joe said solemnly. _I'll tell him this much if it will keep them off his trail. All Jackson needs is a little bit of time to get to the bottom of this. He can handle it._ "No one touches Lisa around him. He loved her and she loved him back. He would do anything to protect her."

"Apparently it wasn't enough."

"He didn't do this, Mr. Caine. I know that it looks bad but I trust him. He wouldn't do it."

"Did you know that Lisa was pregnant?"

"She was? Oh no…" Joe went from pleasantly surprised to down trodden. _If Jackson knew…he'd stop at nothing for revenge._

"Would this by any chance affect his love for her?"

"No, but it will kill him to know that someone did this. They had wanted a child. He won't move on after this. You need to find him before he does something rash."

"Like what?"

Joe sighed deeply before beginning, "Killing. Once he starts, he's unstoppable. Only Lisa could control him. Without her, he's doomed. You have to stop him."

**Author's Notes:**

I tweaked the conversation a bit and removed Joe's spill to make it more realistic.


	6. Chapter Five

**Coldest Degree**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter Five**

Jackson Rippner casually wiped the blood off his trusty knife. He scowled at the dead body lying on the floor. The man had died too fast—such a coward and not even worth killing. The sight of his own blood had nearly driven him insane. Any useful information that he might have held was lost.

When Lisa had disappeared, he had known that she was dead. Jackson had not needed to wait around for her body to surface to confirm his beliefs. Someone had gotten to her when he had been away. Disgusted, Jackson had packed up and hit the road.

He was eager to avenge his murdered wife. He did not know if he or the police would ever find her body and if he would be able to bury her as she deserved. There was no way of knowing for sure what had happened to Lisa and what torment she had faced. He could only hope that she had fought back and that the bastard had not violated her.

Whoever had gone after his sweet Lisa would die a painful death. He was already planning their eventual murder and the hours of torture leading up to it.

Jackson had missed killing people over the course of the past three years. The power and control over someone's life was exhilarating and intoxicating. Lisa had been his only reason for quitting the full scope of his job, but with her recent murder, there was no excuse to abstain from his job. There was nothing and no one to stop him.

He would have his revenge.

_I'm sorry, Leese. I never meant for things to go this way. I never wanted you to get hurt._

* * *

"They found a body in the gutter. Looks like Rippner's handiwork," Eric Delko informed Horatio over his cell phone.

"Where?" he asked, heading towards his Hummer from the hallway that he currently pacing.

"2853 Windjammer. It's a mess."

"High class area. Did the victim live there?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out. His face was pretty bashed in."

"Hmm," H murmured. "Are we sure that it's Rippner?"

"Well, 'For Leese' is scratched into his chest. Son of a bitch is trying revenge killings to clear himself."

"Her father warned us that he'll be acting rash. I'm working it into the profile," Horatio said, striding towards the Hummer, the Miami sunlight striking the tan vehicle. He needed to see that body.

"H, is it possible that he didn't do it? What if Rippner was framed?"

"Then the evidence will show that. Until then, we need to stop Jackson Rippner. Get Joe Reisert in here to ID her body. Maybe he will feel up to sharing some more info on Rippner."

* * *

_**A week earlier…**_

_"Jackson? Where are you?" Lisa called out into the crisp night air._

_"Oh, he's not here, Mrs. Rippner. It's just me and you," sneered an unfamiliar voice. _

_Lisa instinctively reached for the .45 tucked into her purse. Jackson always worried about her safety after he had brought her back from the brink of death. He had bought the gun for her as protection for when he was not with her. She aimed it at the man in the shadows and clicked off the safety._

_"No, no, Mrs. Rippner. Stop getting ideas. I'd hate to shoot you so soon. We haven't had any fun yet."_

_"Shoot me?" Her mouth fell open in surprise and the gun wavered in her grip._

_Her attacker seized the opportunity to leap at her. She screamed and the gun went off. _

_"You bitch! You shot me!" he hissed, clutching at the spot where the bullet had sliced his arm._

_Lisa cried out in pain as he slammed her head against the ground. She was stunned until his weight touched her body. Warning alarms rang through her head and she panicked._

_"No! No!"_

_She fought back and he punched her. She cried out and clawed back as he snatched a handful of her hair. Then he drew his knife. He slashed at her skin and she rolled away._

_Leaping to her feet, Lisa ran until he yanked her down by her ankle. She kicked out at him as he pulled her across the ground. Her skin was scratched on the twigs lying on the ground._

_"No! Jackson, Jackson, help! Help!"_

* * *

"I don't know why you need me here. I thought you had already confirmed that my daughter was dead," Joe said wearily.

"It's just a formality. We are positive that it is Lisa, but need a family member to finalize confirmation," Horatio Caine said, steering the older man towards the morgue, where Alexx was waiting with Lisa Rippner's body.

"Then why did I have to see her death splashed all over the news? Why did no one call me?"

"Mr. Reisert, I have no idea how the news got a hold of this information. We have a strict policy on disclosure of death. We always notify family first before the news gets an ID."

"I still don't know how it could be Lisa—she's so young and full of life…"

"Hello, Mr. Reisert. Is this your daughter?" Alexx asked quietly as she uncovered the young woman's head.

"Oh God," Joe gasped, bending down to examine the features of the woman on the cold metal table. Fortunately her face was unharmed except for a few bruises.

"Is this her?" Horatio inquired.

Joe sighed and shook his head. "No, that's not my Lisa. It sure does look like her though. I almost thought it was her…but it's someone else. She's still out there."

**Author's Notes:**

I went back and changed the last switch. Instead of hearing about it later, you can now "see" Joe's identification.


	7. Chapter Six

**Coldest Degree**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter Six**

"Calleigh, what else do we have from the scene?" Horatio asked, entering the lab where she was currently peering into a microscope.

"Why? What's wrong, H?" Her Southern accent was soothing and calm compared to his worried tone.

"That was not Lisa Rippner that we found. I need anything and everything that you've got. She's still missing and we've got a Jane Doe."

"Do you think—?"

"Yes, we might very well have a serial. Now, did you get anything with the tire treads at the scene?"

"As a matter of fact I did," Calleigh said pleasantly, pushing several crime scene photos in his direction. "They matched a car dumped less than a half mile from where we found the body."

"Did you run the plates?"

"And the VIN," she said with a smile. "The car was registered to a Mrs. Lisa Rippner—our missing woman."

"Who was the last person in the car?"

"According to what I found in the car, there seems to have been three people in the car. There was a lot of blood in the backseat—probably our Jane Doe—plus blood in the passenger seat as well as a piece of rope. Whoever was in the passenger seat was restrained."

"The driver?"

"Taller than Lisa Rippner would have been. The seat was adjusted."

"So our driver wasn't her? Could it have been her husband?"

"Not likely. Whoever drove this car was over six feet tall. Her husband is only five foot nine or so. Unless he adjusted it before dumping the car…"

"Which is always a possibility. Did you get the results on the body yet?"

"Yeah, here they are. I haven't looked at them yet," Calleigh said, handing Horatio the printout from DNA.

He scanned the paper carefully. There were three different pieces of DNA compared on the sheet. One was from the body in the morgue, one from the backseat blood, and the last one was from the front seat. The body and the backseat blood matched, but the front seat blood was unknown.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a witness," he announced dramatically to Calleigh, a smile brimming on his face. "Now all we need to do is find her before the killer ends her life as well."

"H, do you think that it's Lisa Rippner?"

"I think that it's a very good possibility."

* * *

"Meet Matt Ridge," Alexx introduced. She had just completed the post on the body from that morning's murder. "Fingerprints confirmed ID—he was in AFIS. It turns out that he did time for conspiracy to commit murder. An anonymous tip stopped the murder and caught him and a group of three guys. He was just released within the last six months."

"Any idea who called in the tip? Someone with a grudge?"

"It's probably the same person who called in the murder—a male," Ryan Wolfe volunteered, entering the autopsy room.

"Do we have the 911 call on tape?" Horatio asked the young CSI who nodded.

"I've already got it hooked up and running. I thought you'd want to hear it."

"Good, good. Now can you find out if Joe Reisert has any home videos?"

"Why, H?"

"Voice analysis."

"You think Rippner did it? You think he murdered this guy and called it in? Talk about implication," Ryan said, shocked.

"You betcha."

* * *

"Hello?" Joe answered the ringing phone. He was praying that it wasn't the Miami-Dade PD asking him to ID another body. He had almost been convinced that the woman they found was Lisa until he had seen her. Then he had known that it was wrong girl. Lisa was still missing.

"Lisa…did they find her yet?" a worn-out voice inquired.

"Jackson, Jackson is that you?"

"Yes," the younger man sighed. "Did they find her yet?"

"What do you mean?"

"The police. Have they found her body yet?"

"No, they though they did—Jackson, what's going on? Where's Lisa?" Joe demanded. He was used to Jackson's games, but now was not the time. His only child was missing and presumed dead. The police were acting like she was already dead and that it was only a matter of time before they recovered her body.

"She's dead," he croaked. "She's…"

"You're lying."

"They're after me—she got in their way. She wasn't supposed to get hurt…" Jackson's voice was breaking. Joe could almost hear his son-in-law's tears.

"Are you sure she's dead?"

"If he has her, then it's only a matter of time, if she's not already gone. I'm sorry, Joe. I failed…"

"What are you mixed up in, Jackson? Why is Lisa missing?" He refused to think that she was dead. Lisa was a healthy, vibrant young woman and he would keep that image of her until he saw a body that truly belonged to her.

"This is personal. I'm on the trail. Soon, soon he'll pay," Jackson's voice morphed into a low growl. "Lisa will be avenged, Joe. I promise you that much."

"Don't do anything rash, Jackson. Let the police handle this."

"Like they let Lisa die? No. Joe, this man has been committing murders for over a decade. He took Lisa and she's not coming back. He's a company hit man. I'm going to take him down once and for all."

"Lisa wouldn't want this," Joe argued. "She wouldn't want you risking your life, let alone returning to killing."

"No, she wanted me to protect her and I failed. Now I'll settle the score."

"The police could help you. If you'd only share—"

"No, they can't help. I can't go back."

"Jackson," Joe protested, but the other man was already gone. He had hung up.

_Why are you certain that she's gone? Did you see her die? What's going on, Jackson?_

* * *

_**Three Years Earlier….**_

_Jackson carried Lisa into his own apartment. He laid her still body down on his bed and ran for his first aid kit. He had been lucky that she was being held within a two minute drive of his place. He had been afraid that he was going to lose her on the way over._

_"Come on, Leese. Fight it. Don't give in," he urged as he started to mop up the blood. It was seeping into his expensive comforter, but he didn't give a damn. He could always buy a new one. He couldn't, however, replace Lisa._

_The wounds upon her body were numerous. Some of them had the potential for scarring due to neglect. Her torture had taken place over several days. _

_Anger coursed through his veins as he worked. Never again would anyone hurt her. He would protect her. She did not deserve to die. She was special._

_Over the months that they had been apart, he had begun to realize how much he missed her. She had changed him and vice versa. He knew that they were a better team together. He had longed to see her again._

_But not under these circumstances. Not half-dead because of his mistake. He should have pulled out of the mission the moment that the plane was delayed. He should have refused—forget the money! Lisa was more important. Weeks of stalking had drawn them together and combined with a mutual attraction…_

_God had he wished that he had been anyone else at the moment in time. Anyone at all. Someone that might have had a future with her, not someone who was supposed to kill her within moments of stepping off that blasted plane._

_"Jackson?" her scratchy voice croaked._

_"Ssh, Leese. It's all over now. You're safe. They can't hurt you when you're with me."_

**Author's Notes:**

In the next chapter, we'll find another body and more about Lisa and Jackson's past will come to light. Thanks for reading/reviewing and enjoy!


	8. Chapter Seven

**Coldest Degree**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye _or _CSI: Miami_!

**Chapter Seven**

_**Three Years Earlier…**_

_Jackson had kept a vigil beside Lisa as she drifted in and out of consciousness for two days. The abuse that she had suffered had exhausted her body and now she was finally able to rest and recover. He had been surprised at first that she would sleep around him given their past, but it helped them both._

_He watched her sleep from across the room. He had decided to drag in a couch after the first night. Jackson didn't feel like spooking her too badly when she awoke and if she saw him lying beside her, Lisa would freak. He was trying to avoid that. He wanted to win her trust back._

_If she would let him._

_The first step would be reconciling with her father._

_Jackson picked up his cell phone and dialed a number that he knew by heart—Joe Reisert's phone. He knew that he'd pick up._

_"Lisa? Leese?" Joe's frantic voice answered after two rings._

_"No, but she's safe. I promise."_

_"Who…who are you?"_

_"All you need to know is that she's safe. They can't hurt her now. She's alive." He was purposely being vague. The last thing he needed was cops up his ass._

_"Who are you? Where is my daughter?"_

_"She's with me. I'll have her call you when she's feeling better. She's lucky that I got there before he finished the job."_

_"Who are you?"_

_"Jackson," he whispered and hung up the phone._

* * *

"We have another body, H," Eric Delko announced. "And it's a bad one."

"Male or female?" Horatio Caine inquired, eyebrows raised.

"Female. Another redhead. She's about the same age as Lisa Rippner and the last one."

"ID?"

"Jane Doe," he said sadly, shaking his head. "He's escalating."

"How so?"

"Take a look."

Eric handed Horatio a stack of crime scene photos. Horatio had been too busy following up on the evidence from the last two murders around the lab that he had not gone to the scene of the last CSI call. He had sent Eric instead.

The new body looked like a dump as well—remote location, body on the stomach, no cars in sight. Instead of a swamp, this one was lying in an alley. The woman had half-formed bruises covering her skin as well as knife wounds. Her clothes were also in disarray suggestive of a sexual assault.

The second woman also had short red hair like Lisa Rippner and the previous Jane Doe. Her hands were still restrained behind her back with rope and another rope was knotted around her neck. The cause of death had clearly been strangulation, while the previous woman had bled to death.

The 'J' was also present on her right forearm.

There was no doubt that it was the same killer.

"Did you find a car nearby?"

"Yes. Calleigh's already started to process it," Eric said.

"Good. Go help her. We need to figure out if Lisa Rippner is still alive and if she was a witness again."

* * *

A smile spread across his face as he stared at his third victim. She would be the perfect kill. The others had only been practice. She was the prize.

She had been the first one that he caught. He had held off on killing her until her perfected his formula for murder. He wanted her to suffer. She was to be an example of what happened when good little girls messed with the wrong people.

He had waited over three years to be allowed the pleasure of finishing her off. Now that the order had finally come, he wanted everything to be perfect. He would only have once chance at killing her. That was where the others had come in. They were all had the same build, were around the same height, and had similar hair. They were test runs.

Lisa Rippner was the finale. She was to become his masterpiece.

But first, he still had one more test left. He had nearly killed her, but now it was the time for the final piece.

He grabbed a handful of the matted, hated red hair and thrust the barrel of a gun to her temple. His new victim was limp; no longer caring, no longer fighting. The first one had been spirited but the last two had been worthless. Hopefully his finale would be worth waiting for.

He smiled at his prize as he pulled the trigger.

* * *

Her body was still missing.

Jackson Rippner wandered aimlessly around the small hotel room. Dark circles under his saddened blue eyes betrayed the sleepless nights that he had endured. He had yet to shave this week and his longish hair was a tangled mess. He was falling apart.

_Why her? Why did they have to take her after all this time? Why?_

There was no doubt in his mind that her disappearance was connected to the Keefe job. That was the only commonality in their lives beside their relationship, which alone was not enough cause to order her capture.

_She's dead by now. She's been gone over a week. I'll be lucky to find her body now, or even pieces of it…_

He shivered at the thought of her body mutilated because of him.

_How dare he hurt her? I know he did it—he's the only one who could get the authorization to come after me. His grudge is deep enough to do it._

Jackson swallowed hard. It was all he could do to try to control his emotions. Fury, rage, sadness; they all drove him insane. The pleasure of a kill, the warmth of her smile, the emptiness he felt without her…

He picked up the KA-Bar from the table top. The blade glinted in the dim lighting of the room as he twirled it. Without a second thought, he thrust it into the sheath on his hip. He then pried a worn photograph from the inside pocket of his jacket. He stared at the lively woman in the photograph—his Lisa—her green eyes sparkling as she stared at him. He gave the photograph a soft kiss and then placed back in the pocket over his heart.

"I'm doing this for you, Leese. You will be avenged, I swear. Even if I get killed in the process, he will die. He'll die for hurting you…" he promised and then pulled the door shut behind him as he stepped in the dark night.

**Author's Notes:**

Once again, a lot of switching, but it's beginning to pick up. The next chapter will be mostly CSI stuff as they piece the cases together. Thanks for reading/reviewing!


	9. Chapter Eight

**Coldest Degree**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _CSI: Miami_!

**Chapter Eight**

"H, the voice analysis just came back," Wolfe said, chasing his supervisor down the hallway.

Horatio Caine paused. "And?"

"Jackson Rippner made the 911 call. He killed Matt Ridge."

"But did he kill those girls?"

Ryan shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe. Do you think the wife was in on it?"

"I can't rule anything out at this moment."

Just then, Alexx Woods poked her head into the hallway. "I might be able to help with that. Come on in, Horatio."

"Duty calls," Ryan said, scampering off.

"What have you got, Alexx?" he asked after entering the quiet room. All three bodies were laid out before his eyes.

"The knife wounds are inconsistent. The same knife was used on both women, but the male, he's a different story. You said that you think Rippner killed the man?"

"Yes."

"Well, the knife that matched his wounds is a KA-Bar. The women were killed with an ordinary kitchen knife. The methodology of Matt Ridge's killing is also different than that of the others."

"How so?" inquired Horatio, eager to hear what might just break open the case.

"The wounds on Mr. Ridge were calculated—meant to inflict pain and blood loss. The wounds on the women are haphazard and rushed. There is no exact logic to their wounds."

"But his was the work of a professional, right, Alexx?"

The African-American woman nodded. "But whoever killed these girls was trained as well. He's skilled, but he's faking it to look sloppy. I think each mark on all the bodies had a purpose."

"Someone's playing a game with us."

"It sure looks that way. What did Jackson Rippner do for a living?"

"No one's sure. There is no data in the computer. It's almost like he doesn't exist."

"Very convenient for a professional killer, huh?" Alexx suggested.

"Yes, very."

* * *

"Eric," Calleigh's voice called from inside the car. "Take a look at this."

"What is it?"

"The blood. It's pooled in the same way as in the other one. There's also the same rope in the same place."

"You think that it's the same woman in both vehicles?"

"I do. Now, do you think we should try DNA?"

"What for?

"H requested a sample from Mr. Reisert—Lisa Rippner's father. I'm thinking that if we run against the unknown from the front seat…"

"That we'll find Lisa Rippner?"

"Exactly," she purred; a wide smile upon her face.

* * *

It was all a game for him. A sick, twisted game of revenge.

Now that he had started killing again, he knew that he would never stop. The blood eased the ache—the guilt, the pain from her murder. He had been too lax and she had paid the price.

_Never again… They'll pay for this…_

They had stolen the one thing more important and precious than life to him. His only chance at normalcy was gone. When Lisa was taken, his soul had died. Now nothing remained except years of training and cold—dark, bitter cold.

Jackson Rippner was on the hunt; a hunt that would never end until someone put him out of his misery.

* * *

Horatio stared at the printout of the convicted members of the attempted murders. At least half of the tips leading to their capture had been phoned in by an anonymous male. Of the half phoned in, 98 of them had been called in within the last three years. Only a handful were called in before then.

Jackson Rippner had been trying to undermine the same business that he had once worked in. Was that his new job? Stopping others?

Was that why his wife had been taken? To hurt him enough to force him to switch sides?

There was no doubt that Jackson Rippner had been trained to kill. Even if he had only killed Matt Ridge, his work showed perfected skill. He had known what he was doing. Joe Reisert knew it too, but he still steadfastly believed that Jackson would never hurt Lisa.

What had changed his mind?

Horatio shuffled the papers in his hand and found all the hits that the computer could come up with on Lisa Reisert/Rippner. Tracking Jackson Rippner had proved a waste of time.

A newspaper article titled _Man Found Slain in Warehouse—Missing Woman Returned_ detailed the kidnapping of local woman Lisa Reisert and the body of kidnapper that had been found. A ' J' had been cut into his forearm. When interviewed, Lisa had refused to comment on what had happened to her.

The date was from three years ago. Around the same time that the phone tips had begun flooding in…

Jackson Rippner had reformed after rescuing Lisa. He had gone from tormentor to protector. He _had_ changed.

Which also meant that he wasn't behind the redhead murders. Someone had stolen his M.O. and used it to frame him. They were hunting the wrong man. The only crimes that Horatio could tie him to were the Lux Atlantic explosion from three and a half years ago, the murder of Lisa's attempted killer three years ago, and then the murder of Matt Ridge. Other than that, his past was clean.

"Who did you tick off?" Horatio muttered; staring at the picture in front of him that showcased a smiling Jackson Rippner with his arm around his laughing wife. Her green eyes were sparkling and his chilly eyes were soft and light. They looked like the perfect, loving couple.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Three Years Earlier…**_

_"Ugh," Lisa groaned, slowly shifting under the covers in Jackson's bed._

_Jackson shot awake at the sounds and his face lit up when he realized that she was finally waking up._

_With one bandaged arm, she felt her pounding head gingerly. She noticed all the meticulous bandages that covered her skin and wounds. She glanced down at her clothes only to find that she was wearing a plain t-shirt and pair of loose pj bottoms that she had never seen in her entire life._

_"Hello?" she croaked._

_"Lisa," Jackson whispered, trying to contain his joy that she was awake._

_She jumped and her muscles contracted._

_"No, relax," he begged gently. "I'm not here to hurt you. I saved you, remember? You've got to remember, Leese…"_

_"You…you're dead."_

_"It was lie, Lisa. They lied to you. I was never dead. You almost were though. He kidnapped you, remember? Tortured you?"_

_"No, no…stop. Stop it!" Lisa cried out._

_"I already did. I saved you. I killed him and took care of you. Who do you think cleaned and stitched you up?"_

_"Oh God, this can't be happening."_

_"Ssh, Leese," he said softly, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Lisa tried to shift away from him. "I'm not going to hurt you."_

_"Why should I believe you? You tried to kill me before!"_

_He winced. "I never meant to hurt you. I never wanted to do it…"_

_"Then why did you? You had a choice! There's always a choice!"_

_"Not that time. It was my life or the phone call. I was a stupid, selfish prick then and I chose myself. I didn't second-guess myself until it was too late. Until I met you in the flesh…then I couldn't do it."_

_She started to relax. She could see the pain clearly written across his face. Besides, had he wanted her dead then he wouldn't have bandaged her up as carefully as he had. He had truly cared. He had wanted a chance with her. They were getting a second chance._

_"But you failed…"_

_"And they wanted you to pay to the price. That's why you were taken. They wanted to correct the mistake. You were the mistake in their eyes. My attraction to you doomed us both," Jackson sighed, clearly regretting his own feelings._

_"But you came for me?"_

_"Yes. I shouldn't have though…"_

_"No," Lisa whispered softly, reaching her left hand out towards his own. "You did the right thing. Maybe all we needed was another chance."_

_He raised a dark eyebrow at her. "What are you saying?"_

_"Everything happens for a reason. There was a reason that we met and I don't want to give them complete credit for that. What if we were supposed to met? What if you were meant to save me?"_

_"But it's my fault that you were in that place. How are you supposed to forgive that?"_

_"Did you quit?"_

_"What?" Jackson was puzzled._

_"Did you quit your job?"_

_"Yes—no. Not really."_

_"Then use it to help people. If you know what they're planning then stop them. Use your abilities for good. You can reform, Jackson. You've already shown that by saving me."_

**Author's Notes:**

A few small changes in this chapter but not many.


	10. Chapter Nine

**Coldest Degree**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _CSI: Miami_!

**Chapter Nine**

"H, it's Lisa Rippner," Calleigh said, entering his office where he was still staring at the pile of papers in front of him. She handed him the latest printout from DNA.

"The front seat blood?"

"Yes."

"In which car?"

"Eric and I processed both cars and sent the blood from the second car to DNA. So far it looks like it was the same in both. Lisa Rippner witnessed both body dumps."

"Which means that she's still out there and that's she's next on the killer's list."

His cell phone rang. He answered it. "Caine."

"H, there's been a third murder. Another woman. This one's been shot," Eric Delko said.

"I'll be right there. Meet me at the Hummer." He hung up. "Calleigh, let's go."

* * *

Horatio pulled the Hummer over beside the third location, a busy shopping mall. The yellow crime scene tape had already been strung up around the parked car. He could see the nearly-headless woman positioned in the front seat before he made it beside the car.

Peering inside the car, he spotted the same pools of blood in the front passenger seat as always, plus the now familiar length of rope. There were also pools of blood in the backseat that he was willing to bet belonged to the woman now awkwardly slumped in the driver's seat.

Horatio could see the strands of short red hair. She was the third of the serial.

She was bruised and cut in attention to the bullet wound to the head. The now familiar 'J' was carved into her forearm. She was also a Jane Doe.

"Three women and three different CODs. Now how does that happen?" Horatio asked his team as they joined him beside the body.

"Three different killers?" Eric suggested, shrugging slightly.

"No, the MO is too similar. It's almost like the killer is perfecting his game before he makes the final kill," Calleigh said, then looked at Horatio, who nodded.

"Exactly. Lisa Rippner was always the target."

"So we've got bleeding to death, strangulation, and bullet to the brain," Eric listed. "Are we missing any common, painful CODs?"

"No," Calleigh said sadly.

"Which means Lisa Rippner is next, right, H?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

Horatio's cell phone rang and he answered it with a curt "Caine."

"I think I've got him," Ryan Wolfe announced happily. "Jonathan Weiss, 40, arrested for conspiracy based on a tip from Jackson Rippner. He was the group hitman and he got out early for good behavior."

"When?" Horatio inquired.

"About two weeks before Lisa Rippner disappeared."

"Long enough for him to stalk his prey," Horatio muttered. "Last known address?"

"4080 Breezeway Drive," Ryan recited, most likely after glancing down at the paper he had in front of him."

"Let's go before he finishes her off. If he's true to form than she's already been suffering since he captured her. Chances are she doesn't have much time left. I want you and three squad cars to meet us there."

"You got it, H.," Ryan said and then broke the connection.

"Calleigh, Ryan, we've got to go," he called, turning to his busy team. "Wolfe found a location. We've only got one shot to bring Lisa Rippner home alive."

* * *

Jackson Rippner picked the back door's lock after disabling the security system. He was surprised that Weiss would have picked such a taunting place. He had known about the failed Keefe job and had spent almost three years cursing Jackson in prison.

"4080," he whispered. "Change the room to suite 4080…"

_Why didn't I see it before? Why did I think we were safe? I made too many enemies and I neglected to keep an eye on them. If I had been more careful, then I would have been there to protect Lisa from him. He stalked for two weeks before making his move. He followed my wife and killed her!_

He slipped inside the pitch-black house and tightened his grip on the KA-Bar. It had taken him too long to discover the connection between Matt Ridge and Jonathan Weiss. Ridge was a sniveling coward, but he too had been let out after being convicted on one of his tips. Trying to track down the others without hacking into the police files had been near impossible.

He had turned to newspapers and worked backwards from a week before Lisa's disappearance. When he had seen Weiss' name pop up as a parolee, then he knew exactly who had killed his beloved Lisa. Tracking down his location had deemed a problem, but now it was time for vengeance. Lisa would be avenged.

_I'm sorry sweetheart. I hope you forgive me…_

There was a dim light shinning under a door crack near the kitchen. Jackson pressed his ear against the door and listened.

He could hear a woman's muffled whimpers and Weiss' voice.

"Scared now, huh? Don't worry, it'll all be over soon," Weiss was teasing.

Anger boiled inside Jackson. Weiss was already moving on to his next victim. Killing Lisa had only fueled the murderer inside the hitman. Now, he would continue killing and taunt Jackson for not acting sooner.

Jackson carefully pried the door open and descended the stairs. His blue eyes slowly began to adjust to the dim, dank basement—the underground torture chamber where his Lisa had been killed.

A muffled cry caused him to swing his head to the right, where he could see a quivering, blood-covered form bound to a chair. Matted, red-brown hair was falling into the woman's face. A pair of tear-filled green eyes met his gaze and he froze.

"Leese?" he whispered and he suddenly heard her scream.

A sharp pain in the back of his head caused him to tumble down the rest of the stairs and into the darkness.

**Author's Notes:**

I think I smoothed out most of the rushed bits. If I didn't, please let me know and I'll fix it again.


	11. Chapter Ten

**Coldest Degree**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _CSI: Miami_!

**Chapter Ten**

"Looks like we've got a visitor, huh, sweetheart?" sneered Jonathan Weiss, placing the tip of his blunt knife to Lisa's chin and trailing it down her throat.

He ripped the tape from her mouth and she bit back a scream.

"What do you think we should do with him?"

"Leave him alone!" Lisa cried. "Leave Jackson alone! He has nothing to do with this!"

"Actually, my dear, he has _everything_ to do with this. He's the reason that you're here with me."

"Liar!"

With his foot, Weiss gave Jackson a swift kick to the abdomen. The former manager lay motionless on the floor. Lisa moaned as if she had been the one kicked.

"Stop it! Don't hurt him!"

"Really? Then who should I hurt? Do you think he'd mind if I killed you while he lies there? Do you think he'd mind if we had a little bit of fun?"

"You're sick," Lisa whispered, quivering in her chair. "Why can't you leave us alone?"

"You know too much to leave. Besides, it's because of him," he paused and kicked the defenseless man again, "that I spent three years in prison. He hurt me, so now I'll hurt him. And then I found out that a little girl changed the great Rippner's mind. You helped turn him, and now you're paying for it."

"Please don't…we can pay you… Jackson can pay you, just let us live…"

"I can't do that. Stop your sniveling or I won't let you live long enough to say good-bye to your precious Jackson…"

Lisa's head dropped after he released her chin and her green eyes dimmed. The end was near for her and Jackson. Despite her attempts to free them both, she knew that they would both die in that basement. Weiss would kill them both. There was no hope left anymore.

* * *

"The back door is broken," announced Eric Delko over a radio.

"Mr. Rippner is already here then," responded Horatio's voice.

"Should we go in?"

"Proceed, Eric."

Two teams entered the house silently and made their way down to the basement. Horatio's team headed down the wooden steps first.

"Miami-Dade PD, drop your weapon! Drop your weapon!" shouted Horatio, his gun trained on the only figure standing. An unconscious body lay on the floor beside the man.

A muffled scream alerted them to the presence of a frightened and hurt woman. A quick glance confirmed that it was a very much alive Lisa Rippner. She was painfully bound to a chair and her mouth sealed with a harsh hand.

Jonathan Weiss smiled at the police and continued to hold the knife in his grasp. Lisa's cries grew louder and more agitated and her eyes darted towards the floor and the police several times. Suddenly, Weiss dropped the blade and it entered the body on the floor. Lisa gave a mournful cry and closed her tearing eyes.

"Hands in the air! Keep them where I can see them!" barked Horatio, stepping closer towards their serial murderer.

Calleigh separated from the group and hurried over towards Lisa Rippner.

Eric was on the radio again. "I need two ambulances or a Medivac ASAP at 4080 Breezeway. We have serious injuries and blood loss."

"It's going to be okay," Calleigh reassured Lisa as she carefully clipped and marked the other woman's bonds. Every bit of evidence that she could collect from the distraught woman would help cement the killer's place in jail.

Lisa's frail body was shaking with sobs.

"Jackson," she muttered pitifully. "Jackson!"

"We've got a pulse!" Delko shouted from the floor beside the bleeding, dark-haired man.

Calleigh finished freeing Lisa, who rushed to the side of her fallen husband with surprising speed. Jackson Rippner was bleeding from both a head wound and from the knife stuck in his chest.

"No, Jackson," moaned Lisa, grabbing his hand and pressing it against her cheek. "You have to wake up. Damn you!"

She reeled back and slapped him across the face. "Wake up! Wake up, Jackson!" she screeched.

"Hold her back!" Horatio called and hurried over to pull the hysterical young woman off her dying husband.

"No! No! Jackson!" she cried, struggling to return to his side.

Eric was applying pressure on the chest wound while Calleigh attended to the head wound.

"Calm down, Mrs. Rippner," Horatio said softly.

"No! Let me see him! Jackson!"

"Mrs. Rippner, we need to let my team work on him."

"He's my husband! Jackson! Let me see him!"

"You're hurt and so is he. Now is not the best time for either of you."

"And you're making things worse!" Lisa retorted angrily. "It's because of you he's hurt. If he dies, then it's your fault! Now let me see him!"

Lisa jerked free from Horatio's loosened grasp and returned to Jackson's side. She grabbed his hand again and sat on the side opposite of Eric and Calleigh. "Jackson, look at me. Please…"

"Help is on the way," Calleigh reassured the distraught woman, who was weeping. "It'll be okay."

Lisa was bleeding herself, but she did not seem to notice her wounds as she clung to her husband. She swatted away anyone who attempted to touch her while she was with Jackson. Finally, after a few tense minutes, the paramedics arrived.

Jackson was placed on a stretcher and lifted from the ground. Lisa still held his hand and moved to follow him when Horatio Caine stopped her. "You can't go with him. You need to come with me so that you can be processed and treated. Without you and the evidence you carry, the man who hurt you, Jackson, and all those girls will walk. Do you really want that to happen?"

"No," Lisa whispered hoarsely. "No, I don't. But I don't want to leave him. He never left me…"

"He's going to head directly into surgery. You would have been parted anyways. Come with me and we'll see him as soon as possible, okay?"

Lisa relented and followed Horatio out to the ambulance waiting for her. The Medivac was already in the air, Jackson safely aboard.

Once Lisa was in the ambulance and lying on the stretcher, her wounds got the better of her and she collapsed into the inky blackness. She had pushed her body beyond its limits in order to survive for the past two weeks. It had taken its toll on her and for the first time in days, she slept peacefully.

**Author's Notes:**

Sorry about the delay in updating. Life spun out of control last week. I also went back and edited chapters 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9 before finishing this one. The epilogue should be up on Tuesday. Thanks for reading/reviewing!


	12. Epilogue

**Coldest Degree**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _CSI: Miami_!

**Epilogue**

Jonathan Weiss was sitting in the interrogation room with a very smug look upon his face. Despite getting caught by the Miami-Dade PD, he had still managed his ultimate goal of destroying the Rippners.

Lisa Rippner was too hysterical to give a coherent statement after she woke up. Her wounds had also required immediate treatment and she was drugged with pain killers. How she had managed to move, let alone fight, was a mystery. According to all of her doctors, Lisa Rippner should not have survived her wounds for as long as she had. Some of the half-healed cuts were from as far back as the day of her kidnapping.

All Horatio Caine had to work with was the suspected killer. The bastard was sitting calmly on the other side of the two-way mirror and smiling.

"You ready, H?" Calleigh inquired. She had just returned from the hospital, where she had gone to collect the evidence from Lisa Rippner. Eric Delko was still at the hospital, waiting on Jackson Rippner's clothes and prognosis.

"Let's end this," was all he said before leading the way into the interrogation room.

Weiss turned to face them, that damn smile still plastered on his face. "Hello," he greeted cordially.

Horatio slammed a case folder in front of him. He flipped it open and pushed the crime scene photographs in Weiss' face.

"What are their names?" Horatio demanded. "Who were they? Why did you pick them long after her? We know that you were trying to kill Lisa Rippner."

"You're wondering how I did it, aren't you? How I picked them, followed them, tortured them. They all begged by the end for their pathetic lives. Only two of them were strong."

"Which ones?"

Weiss pushed two of the photos towards Horatio, who stared at them. One was the body of the first victim. The pregnant woman found in the swamplands. The other photo was of a shocked Lisa Rippner bending over her husband's still and bleeding body.

"I knew Rippner's little bitch would be a fighter, but that Lea McCord, mhmm…"

Calleigh hastily wrote down the name. "How did you find her?" she asked, forcing the killer to abandon pissing Horatio off for a moment.

"She wasn't hard. She had been heading back to her car after dinner. I said that my wife was having some problems and wondered if she might help me. Trusting little whore…she followed me back to my car. I let her take a good look at Lisa Rippner and then I had to chase her through the nearby woods. My shoulder was still hurting from where Rippner's bitch shot me, so it took me a while to catch her, but I always caught them in the end."

Horatio's eyebrow raised in suspicion, he asked, "Lisa Rippner shot you?"

"Rippner must have given her a gun. Shot me in the shoulder. But she paid for it several times." The smug, self-satisfied look was back.

"Tell me about the second woman. Who was she?"

"Lucy Ramin, such a brainless whore. She actually climbed into my car."

"Where was Lisa Rippner while you picked up your victims?"

"In the trunk. She was only allowed in the front after a successful punishment."

"Did you force her to watch you kill these girls?"

"Yep. She knew that she was next, but I never let her know how many kills there would be before she became a dump."

Horatio tried to control his anger. "Did you rape any of the girls?"

With a wide grin, Weiss leaned forward and said, "Just ask Lisa Rippner. She'll tell you _all_ about it."

"Who was the third?" Calleigh said, jumping in before Horatio pressed further about his coy answer.

"Lara Adams. She actually tried to free the bitch. Of course she failed. After I shot down her escape plan, I shot her in the head."

Horatio stormed out of the room before anyone could say another word.

"What a cold person. He didn't have any remorse for what he'd done, did he?" Calleigh asked Horatio.

"No, they never do."

* * *

When Lisa Rippner finally came to, after a week spent in a drug induced coma, she was sitting in a hospital bed, covered in bandages and a warm quilt covered her body. She softly stroked the quilt and reflected on the time three years ago when she had woken up in Jackson's home, in his bed.

She glanced around the room and finally saw him. He was slumped in a chair by her bed, his dark hair falling into his eyes as always.

"Jackson," she called softly and he stirred. "Jackson…please…"

Blue eyes shot open and he righted himself. After a moment's pause, he slowly sat on the edge of her bed.

"Hey," he whispered softly, kissing her bandaged forehead. "How you feeling?"

"Pretty out of it."

"They tried to keep you out of the worst pain. Everyone said you should have died. But you're a fighter, Leese, that's why you're still here."

"I knew you'd find me."

He went to hug her and she stiffened in his arms. "Relax," he murmured, stroking her back in circular motions. "I won't hurt you."

"I can't," she whispered, biting her lip.

"What did he do to you, Leese? Did he--?"

"No, he never got that far. He did it to one of those poor girls though. I watched him—"

"You're safe now. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again," he promised.

"He killed all of them because of me, Jackson. He said that it was my fault."

"Weiss was insane. The cops got him. He'll be getting what he deserves."

"What about you? He said you went crazy—he said you killed someone, Jackson. Are they going to take you away?"

Jackson looked at her pained face and gently pulled her onto his lap. "No one is going to take me away from you."

"But the police—"

"Lieutenant Caine and I have already spoken. Due to certain extenuating circumstances, I'll be free. But I also have to help them out. They want me to help them solve crimes involved with company-type guys."

"No more phone calls?"

"No more phone calls," he said with a smile. "No more travel either."

"You're on the no-fly list, aren't you?" Lisa inquired cheekily.

"Well, there's that and…"

"And what? What are you trying to hide from me, Jackson Rippner?"

He swallowed. "Apparently, there's some sort of parasite growing in you that requires an insane amount of attention…"

"Am I—?"

"We are," Jackson said proudly and Lisa squealed with delight before throwing her arms around Jackson. She shuddered at first, trying to pull away, but Jackson's firm grip kept her in place.

"A baby."

"Yes. Somehow it survived. It's a survivor, just like you, Leese."

"Jackson! We can't call it an 'it'."

"Why not? My parents called me an 'it' all the time. Plus 'little bastard'—"

"Your parents weren't going to win any awards for parent of the year. We have to be the best parents possible."

"Yeah, yeah…" Jackson said, rolling his crystalline eyes.

"Actually, on second thought, the last thing this world needs is another Rippner…"

"Now _that's_ offensive!"

* * *

Five months after the Redhead Murders, Jonathan Weiss was being tried for three counts of murder one, two counts of assault, two counts of attempted murder, and one kidnapping. Lisa and Jackson Rippner were both present.

When Lisa tearfully recounted her story on the witness stand, her hands protectively covered her growing stomach. Jackson had always been there to hold her tightly and reassure her after she shakily stumbled back towards their seats in the audience. When the reporters became too pushy, Jackson flung a few choice words in their direction and herded Lisa through the mess safely.

Horatio Caine and members of his CSI team testified at the trial, helping to secure Weiss' place in prison. Jackson had testified as well, explaining how he knew Weiss and his violent temper, as well as the murders that he knew Weiss had been involved in. Of course, he had nearly been tossed out of the courtroom after Weiss turned back to smirk at Lisa. Jackson had exploded and nearly strangled the killer.

After a lengthy trial, the jury came back with a unanimous verdict: GUILTY.

Jonathan Weiss was sentenced to the death penalty. A year later, before he could be killed by lethal injection, he was found dead in his cell. Jackson had cursed the company when he learned the news.

But it did not matter to Lisa. Jonathan Weiss was dead. She had a newborn infant, which she named Lea after the first woman. Lea McCord had been pregnant as well and Lisa felt that she owed the strong-willed woman that much. The two women had bonded as much as they could. Weiss had taken a long time to kill Lea and they had both nearly escaped when she was murdered.

Nothing could change the fact that three women were dead because they fit a profile that was reminiscent of her. Nothing could change the fact that she had been hurt both physically and emotionally.

But with Jackson at her side and baby Lea in her arms, Lisa knew that she would recover. Her father was also an active part of her life once more and she knew that time would heal all wounds.

After all, Lisa Rippner was a survivor.

**Author's Notes:**

Finally, it's finished! It only took me a month to write the entire story! That's a pretty good record seeing as all the research that it required. I hope that this wraps everything up. I'm hoping that everything was realistic towards the end. Thanks for reading/reviewing!


End file.
